Political Advertising in the Netherlands (Still) Little Ado About (Almost) Nothing

Political campaigning has changed fundamentally in the Netherlands in the past decades. As many other countries, it is argued that the Netherlands has moved into an era of “media logic,” with high levels of campaign professionalization, volatile voters and new opportunities to reach the electorate through online media. Given the fact that more voters change (last minute) voting preferences and the availability of new communication channels, it is remarkable, to put it mildly, that political marketing, in terms of advertising, has remained relatively limited. There might be multiple explanations for this, and part of it might also be regarded as a “silence before the storm.” Here, we explore those explanations that are grounded in institutional, judicial and cultural arrangements.